


Cliffs, Ice, and a Best Friend

by Haospart



Series: Saving the world sucks sometimes, but at least there's family [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Best Friends, Blackwall out here being Worried about his dumbass friend, Blood, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Rito falls off a cliff on accident whoops, Rito's really too clumsy for his own good, blackwall is a dad, fluffy end, injuries, somewhat serious injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26208829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haospart/pseuds/Haospart
Summary: Since being recruited, Blackwall hasn't had a day where Rito Trevelyan hasn't come by to visit.  He missed today though.And he shows up more than a little worse for wear.
Relationships: Blackwall & Male Trevelyan (Dragon Age)
Series: Saving the world sucks sometimes, but at least there's family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885636
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Cliffs, Ice, and a Best Friend

Blackwall had been minding his own business, as per usual, just past the outer walls of Haven. Something tiny in the back of his mind nagged at him, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Aside from the obvious.

Something else was tugging at him though, and it put him on edge. The man fidgeted with a buckle, a deep frown slowly carving its way onto his face. Something was missing from his day, it had started off perfectly fine, in fact he'd been having a good day, but the good mood had slowly soured since lunch. He had tried not thinking about it, tried wracking his brain for an answer, but nothing.

He didn't like it.

On any other day he'd end up figuring something else to think about, when Rito came calling to ask some questions, complain, or even just to sit on top of a crate or barrel next to him in silence. Today though, he hadn't shown up. Then it clicked, that's what was wrong: the young man hadn't shown up today. There hadn't been a day that had gone by since Blackwall had been tracked down and recruited that he didn't at least have a moment of Rito Trevelyan's time.

The archer's absence was bizarre, especially so late in the day. It was unlikely that Rito had taken off into the Hinterlands or some other far-off place without at least saying goodbye. Actually, thinking back on it, Blackwall had become a permanent member of the 'away team' almost the moment he signed on. Rito hadn't left Haven without him since then, though he was sure the man would at least say goodbye beforehand.

The other possibility was that Rito had gone into the forest around Haven, hunting probably.

Blackwall turned towards the frozen lake, which was one of Rito's preferred methods of making it to the woods. That it required him to climb up an enormous, steep hill only added to the fun in his mind.

A dot appeared over the top of the hill, then it rose. Average height, straight, reddish-brown hair down to the shoulders, and a bow and quiver strung across his back. 

Rito.

Blackwall's lifting mood and relief vanished, however, when Rito began descending the hillside. He had none of his usual pep, instead of sprinting and sliding down the hill he was gingerly picking his way down. Blackwall's heart dropped to his stomach when Rito tripped, tumbled down the hillside, and slid across the frozen water a short way. Then didn't get up.

Blackwall took off. He called out to Krem as he sprinted towards the lake, The Iron Bull probably at the tavern for the moment, who himself took off yelling towards Cassandra.

The footing was terrible, and Blackwall nearly fell a few times, but good fighting footwork gives an advantage over the ice. 

When he slid to Rito's side, coming to a halt on his knees, Rito was slowly, painfully pushing himself up to a sitting position, then a kneeling one. He looked like hell, and not for the first time. His face littered with cuts and bruises, some freely bleeding, some no longer doing so. His clothes were torn to shreds, and there were bigger, deeper lacerations underneath for certain. The man wore dark blues and greys, but patches were slowly turning purple and brown with blood.

His left hand, which he kept perhaps erroneously uncovered by armor so as to give himself a more solid grip on his bow, had a nasty slice across the knuckles of three of his fingers, another diagonally across the back of his hand, and many, many smaller cuts and bruises. His hair was disheveled, and blood dripped down his temple from under his hairline.

"Hi."

The little shit. 

Rito gave him a wobbly smile, which somehow was less reassuring than the casual greeting, the effectiveness hampered by a fresh, small trail of blood dripping into his eye. He swore quietly and closed the eye on reflex, then grimaced a moment before refocusing on Blackwall.

“You’re a disaster,” the warrior commented, “What did you do, fall off a cliff?”

“Would you be mad if I said yes?” Rito chuckled, sheepish, and tried again for a smile.

“ _ Rito! _ ”

“ _ What _ , it’s not my fault! Mostly. It wasn’t on purpose at least!”

Blackwall sat back on his heels and let his head fall back to face the sky.  _ Maker _ give him the patience and sanity to deal with this reasonably. What a  _ ridiculous _ young man. He fell off a cliff.  _ He fell off a cliff.  _ Who  _ does _ that?

“Uh, whoops?” Rito said, interrupting the silent plea for some higher power to give him the strength to deal with  _ this _ . Then the archer started moving again, attempting to rise again and bring himself to his feet.

It was painful to watch, and Blackwall made quick work of standing himself. He took a gentle hold of Rito’s arm, one hand under his upper arm and the other overhanded, wrapping around his forearm. It managed to get Rito to his feet and keep him there, for the most part, though Blackwall was still bearing most of the weight on himself. No doubt Rito’s shoulder would be straining.

The younger man blew the hair out of his face and offered a weak smile as thanks. His eyes drifted in and out of focus and he blinked for a moment too long. That’s it. Blackwall had long since made up his mind and letting the young man continue on like this was going to get them nowhere.

“Right. Up you go,” he huffed and shifted so Rito’s arm was slung over his shoulder. Another moment and he was dipping and scooped up the archer’s knees with his free arm, settling him into a princess carry.

Rito laughed, a high, nervous sound from the throat. His gaze sharpened and he looked at Blackwall warily, “Are you sure this is the best place to be doing this? It isn’t exactly even footing…”

“Quite,” was the response, short and sweet, “Besides, we’re never getting off this ice if you try to walk it. You’re in no shape for that.”

“Hey, I can walk just fine-”

“I won’t argue this with you, Trevelyan. You fell off a cliff.”

Rito didn’t answer for a moment, a frown settling on his face. When he did respond he was quiet, reluctant but finally speaking some sense, “That- that’s a fair point.”

“Thank you.”

“You didn’t have to call me by my last name though. That was  _ low _ , Blackwall. You sound like my  _ father _ when you do that.”

Blackwall snorted, amused, “If it gets you to listen to sense, that might not be such a bad thing.”

“Well, considering I’m a run-away,” he tapped Blackwall on the nose playfully as the warrior began the slow trek back to the shoreline, “you might want to rethink that stance. Content yourself with sounding like my best friend.”

“Oh? And how might I do that?”

“Easy, just sound like yourself.”

**Author's Note:**

> Blackwall is Rito's best friend and literally nothing has ever happened to change that and I'm already past the Well of Sorrows in my playthrough. It's great. I love them.


End file.
